FlapDoodle

FlapDoodle - Includes gross motor activities.

I hadn't heard of Wiggity Bang Game Company before today. I went to their site and they were sold in 2012 to another toy company, so that's probably why. I played the game before reading the directions, and as I sifted through the cards and looked at the pawns, everything seemed unrelated. Their website calls their games "random fun", and I think that sums it up nicely.

The game board is smaller than the typical game board with a very simple design, and the path has 15 spaces from start to finish. The theme of the game board is a factory, and the object of the game is to be the first to make it through the FlapDoodle factory.

There are three different types of game cards that you will draw to get you through the factory. Each card will tell you to do something and if you complete the challenge, you will be able to advance along the game board. The three different types of cards are:

• FlapDoodle cards - These cards will ask you to answer silly questions or perform silly stunts. Here are examples:
  
  
• Name 3 good reasons you think it's OK to stay up past your bedtime.
• Name 8 different flavors of ice cream.
• Name a word that rhymes with pickle.
• Pretend you are a human pretzel. Twist yourself into a pretzel shape and then say, "Give me some mustard!"
• Pick another player. Until your next turn, end each sentence that player says with, "That's what you think!"
• Spread your arms out as wide as they will stretch, close your eyes and touch the tip of your nose with your pointer finger.
• Make each of the following faces without laughing:
• sad face
• angry face
• sleepy face
  
  
• Mr. SourFace cards - Mr. SourFace is a cranky old man and he will tell you to move back spaces on the board. Here are examples:
  
  
• Mr. SourFace says that all the lettuce fell out of his taco! Move back 1 space.
• Mr. SourFace says that if your name has letters in it, you must move back 1 space.
  
  
• Ms. Goody Gumdrops cards - Ms. Goody Gumdrops is a happy gal and will help you advance on the board. There are two Ms. Goody Gumdrops spaces on the board. Every time you land on one, draw one of her cards and do what it say to move forward. Here are some examples:
  
  
• Ms. Goody Gumdrops says that 2 is a crowd. The next time another player lands on the same space as you, you may move ahead 2 spaces.
• Ms. Goody Gumdrops thinks exercise is good. The next time a player stands up, you may move ahead 1 space if you stand up too and do 4 jumping jacks.

The timer is included because some of the challenges are asked to be completed before the timer runs out. I would definitely go through the cards and "stack the deck" before using this in therapy so that you have cards that are appropriate to the person and situation. Some cards require you to get up and go get things (a doll, food, etc.). Some cards are more cognitively demanding, such as "You are a tired old sailor who has traveled around the world. In your best sailor voice, name 7 places you've traveled to before the timer runs out." Some cards may not be safe for some, such as doing jumping jacks. Always consider safety first.

Object:

Be the first to make it through the factory and to the finish line.

 

Set up:

Place the game board between the players and stack the cards, face-down, next to it. Set the timer nearby. Figure out who will start and that person draws a card.

Play:

Players take turns. Draw a card and perform the challenge. If you are successful, advance along the path on the game board - usually one or two spaces. Play until someone makes it through the factory and to the finish line.

 

Try this:

• Allow a person to draw another card if he chooses one that he does not feel comfortable performing or does not know the answer to.
• Use more Mr. SourFace cards to extend the game, and fewer for a faster game.
• Skip the timer to reduce time pressure.
• Work on eye-hand coordination, spatial relations, memory, motor planning, gross motor, balance, coordination, executive functioning skills, manual dexterity, socialization skills, process skills, play and leisure exploration and participation 

In the box: game board, 6 pawns, sand timer, 230 cards

If you are interested in purchasing this game or just want more information, click on the image below.

 

Timeline Discoveries



Timeline Discoveries - Play alone to work on memorizing important dates.


Timeline Discoveries is from the same creators of the Cardline Animals card game that I blogged about previously. The Timeline series is for people who have a knowledge of important dates in history, or who want to learn. All three games play the same, so I will describe the yellow box first, Timeline Discoveries, with particulars about the other two at the bottom.

The cards for the game are small (so they can be lined up across the table), only 1 5/8 X 2 1/2 inches. The front side of each card depicts an important discovery, in word and picture. The back of each card will be the same with the exception that the year of the discovery has been added. Even though the date is printed in a larger font, the cards are small so you will need good lighting to be able to read them from a distance. During play you will be making a line of cards, in chronological order, of these important dates.  

Each time a correct card is played, there are more options for where to place the next card and the game gets a little harder and the card line gets a little longer.

The top line of cards depicts the time line for all players (back of cards showing dates). The bottom line of cards depicts a player's card line of cards to choose from to play (front of cards showing no dates).

Here is an example of some of the discoveries:

• The discovery of the rings of Saturn
• The invention of fractions
• The abolition of slavery in the USA
• The discovery of the tomb of Ramses II
• The invention of psychoanalysis

A quick glance through the cards and it appears that the majority of the dates are 1200's through 1900's. A few dates are BC and depicted with a minus sign. For example, The inventions of fractions, -1650. If you find some cards inconsistent with your beliefs, such as the appearance of the Cro-Magnon man in -40,000, just pull them out. 

Here are the particulars for the two other Timeline card games pictured above:

• Timeline Inventions - Includes 109 small invention-themed cards. Examples:
• The invention of the postage stamp - 1840
• The invention of (eye) glasses - 1299
• Public access to the internet - 1990
• The invention of chewing gum - 1872
• Timeline Historical Events - 110 small (world) event-themed cards. Examples:
• 1st crossing of the Atlantic in an airplane - 1927
• The fall of the Western Roman Empire - 476
• 1st ancient Olympic games - -776
• 1st voyage around the world - 1522

The manufacturers suggest mixing cards from two or all three versions.


Object: 
Be the only person in a round to correctly play your last card.

Set up:
Shuffle the cards face up so that the dates are not showing. Deal four cards to each player and place the remainder of the deck off to the side. Players will line these cards up in front of them, date side down. Place the top card from the deck, date side up, in the middle of the playing area. This is the first card of the timeline.

Play:
Players take turns. The first player will choose (any) one of his cards and place it to the left or right of the card already in play - on the left if he feels the date of his discovery is before the card in play, on the right if he feels the date is after. He then turns over his card and checks the date. If he has placed it correctly, the card stays on the table. If he was incorrect, the card goes back into the box and he takes the top card from the deck and places it in front of him in his card line. The next person plays.

Once all game players have played one card, that is considered a "round". To win, be the only person in a round to correctly play your last card. In other words, every player must have a chance to finish the round before a winner is announced. If two people end up with no cards, everyone else is out and those two people will pick one card at a time and add it to the line. The first person to make a mistake is out and the other player is the winner.

Try this:

• Play alone. After multiple games you may get really good at remembering the dates. 
• Simplify the game by playing alone and creating a timeline by looking at the dates. Take several cards and line them up in front of you, date side up, in chronological order. Memorize them. Narrow it down by taking cards from only one century at a time. Keep adding and memorizing a few cards at a time to this line.
• Use the cards as a sorting activity - put all 1900s in one pile, all 1800s in another pile, etc.
• Play a game with cards from only one or two centuries, adding cards from new centuries as you learn.
• Deal the cards one-handed by holding a small stack in the non-dominant hand and pushing off the top card with the thumb. Easier to do with smaller cards than regular sized cards.

In the box 110 cards
Ages 8+, 2-8 players
 
If you are interested in purchasing this game or just want more information, click on the image below.